1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of the present invention is a device for electrochemical treatment, locally in particular, of a conductor substrate by movement over said substrate, usable in any position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a device notably enables production of metallic coatings formed electrochemically and localized surfacing or touching up on metallic surfaces. In the automotive, aeronautical or rail industry, it frequently happens that surfaces must be prepared before assembly or before another surface treatment. In these industries and in many others, including plastics and mechanical engineering, it also happens that metallic surfaces or parts suffer wear, scratching, scuffing or corrosion that justify such localized metallic retouching.
Such electrochemical treatment devices are already known, such as for example devices of the pad type, as well as devices employing electrolyte circulation chambers or cells or gels in order to avoid flows of electrolyte.
These devices nevertheless are still subject to risks of flow during treatment, related to the quality of the seal provided by the seals or during cleaning after treatment (in the case of gels), and risks linked to the uniformity of the treatment.
Accordingly, leaks of electrolyte, notably during movement of the device over the substrate, represent a real danger for the surrounding areas that must not be treated and for the operator, because of the often corrosive nature of the electrolytes used.
Moreover, there is known from the document EP 0 663 461 a device for electrochemical treatment that includes a casing provided with an opening and defining a space, an electrode disposed in this space and intended to be connected to one terminal of an electrical power supply, the conductor substrate being intended to be connected to the other terminal of this supply, and an electrolyte inlet and an electrolyte outlet, both in communication with said space.
However, this device has disadvantages in that the same tool cannot be used for different surfaces to be treated, such as plane surfaces and surfaces of convex shape.
Moreover, this device does not always make it possible to set accurately or to maintain the electrolyte flow rate that is however a decisive characteristic for the quality of the electrochemical treatment.
The objective of the present invention is therefore to alleviate the disadvantages referred to above and to propose a device for electrochemical treatment that makes it possible to obtain an improved deposition quality at the same time as being usable in different configurations of surfaces to be treated.